Combatguard has been under development since December 2013 by IMI and the Ido Offroad Center as a private venture using internal research and development funding.

It features a monocoque central crew capsule of all-welded steel with an appliqué armour package, claimed to provide a high level of protection against small arms fire, mines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and explosive formed projectiles. Combatguard can carry six to eight people, depending on the role, and has a typical gross vehicle weight of 8 tonnes.

Mounted at the rear is the powerpack, consisting of a General Motors 6.5-litre diesel developing 300hp coupled to a Racing Type semi-automatic four-speed transmission and a two-speed transfer case.

The large wheels provide a high level of mobility over rough terrain and in the event of a mine or IED attack are blown away from the vehicle, with minimum damage to the crew capsule.

For protection against rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and other anti-tank weapons, the Combatguard is fitted with the IMI Iron Fist Bright Arrow hard kill active protection system.